Wednesday, June 30, 2010

We are pleased to invite you to attend Mawlana Shaykh Nazim's sohbet (lecture) which is being broadcasted LIVE from Lefke, Cyprus, DAILY at 10.30 pm Malaysian time. The broadcast which comes with translations in many languages including Malay is courtesy of SUFILIVE - The Official Media Library of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim and the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order at:

Thoharah means clean. What types of cleanliness are there in Islam? Zahir and bathin. The bathin is your true personality, the 'you' inside you, so clean your heart. Allahumma thohhir qulubana. 'O Allah, clean our hearts'. That is the munajat (petition) of anbiya and Rasul. Wa thiabaqa fa thohhir.

It is very easy to clean your zahir but it is difficult to clean the bathin. Allah grants us plenty of good inspirations yet people like to talk nonsense (malayani). It is easy to tell when your clothes get dirty. But what about the garments that clothe the aurat of your soul? You know what needs to be done, yet you don't do it. Allah does not care if your outer garments are dirty. It is very easy to clean them in the washer. The advice from Allah in the Qur'an does not refer to the outer clothing. You are ordered to face Allah in a clean state - that is your heart and soul to be in a clean and pure state. He said, those who are clean will inherit Darus Salam, the heaven. And that if you be in His presence in a pure condition, He will garb you with the best of clothes. Those who are dirty, will not be given any garments. People who make an effort to keep themselves pure, and face Allah in a clean state will receive 'garments of honor' from Him. Allah al-Quddus wants you to see Him in a pristine manner. By all means, purify yourself as required by the Holy. The sahabah (companions) of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w wore unattractive clothes but according to the awliya, their garments emit much fragrant, the sort of perfume that you will never come to smell in this world. The sahabah truly understood what was meant by 'clean your garments'. If you did that Allah will put on your spiritual body (ruhani) a special dressing.

Clean yourself, all the 360 parts of your body. Those who die in a clean pure state, their grave will remain intact as though they have just died yesterday. Make an effort to purify yourself. You cannot go to the masjid if you are dirty. Who can be invited to Allah's majlis if they are not clean? Please go find a guru to help you clean yourself. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w mingled with the Arabs and in the process he purified them and help prepare them until death comes to them. They treated Rasulullah s.a.w as their guru or leader who could purify them. And yet the Wahabis are against people who follow tariqah and their shaykh. They are thinking, 'Oh we must free ourselves from these people'. But know that Allah orders us to follow with much love, those who return to Allah.

May Allah forgive us all for the sake of His beloved Sayyidina Muhammad s.a.w
____________________________________________Translated from Malay transcripts of Bro Abd Sattar Khan/Haqqani Fellowship

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

O son, below is the gist from the lecture series by Shaykh Abdul Aziz (Baba Aziz) last weekend. I was not able to attend due to 'worldly matters' (sigh), thanks to Sister Mastura & Ina for sharing.

Baba Aziz said:

We should be sad - hazan. Hazan means sad. We should be sad because we are so rude towards Allah. When we pray, we are not khusyuk. We are not attentive in our prayers. We go against His rules, we don't follow the syaria't properly. We are ignorant, we are jahil. So we should be sad for all that and many more.

We should discipline our lower nafs. We should talk less, sleep less and eat less. When we eat, take the usual portion but throw away half and gradually reduce the portion of your food. Try not to talk too much or talk nonsense. Only speak what is necessary and when necessary.

Do not love dunya too much. Live on zuhud principle, that is take only what you need, not what you want. Be satisfied with your lot - qanaah and be grateful, shukur with what you have. This will lead you to taslim (submission), tawfid and tawakkal.

Many people are afraid of death, don't be. Just accept it as a place where you belong.

Monday, June 28, 2010

The best of moments for many of us is when we are in the company of awliya and habaib. The best moment for me this weekend was being in the company of my qurrata a'yun, Habib Ali Zainal Abidin. [Grin]. It was at KL Ba'alawi, a favorite hang-out place. O you people around KL, be there or be square!

Habib Ali continued his regular slot at KL Ba'alawi doing tafsir Qur'an. This time was verses 1 - 8 of Surah Yusuf.

We have sent it down, as an Arabic Qur’an, so that you may understand.

By revealing this Qur’an to you, we hereby narrate to you the best narrative, while before this you were among those unaware (of it).

(It happened) when Yūsuf said to his father, “My father, I saw (in dream) eleven stars and the Sun and the Moon; I saw them all fallen prostrate before me.’’

He said, “My son, do not relate your dream to your brothers, lest they should devise a plan against you. Surely, Satan is an open enemy for mankind.

And it will be in this way that your Lord will choose you and teach you the correct interpretation of events, and will perfect His bounty upon you and upon the House of Ya‘qūb, as He has perfected it earlier upon your fore-fathers, Ibrāhīm and IsHāq. Surely, your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.”

Surely, in (the story of) Yūsuf and his brothers, there are signs for those who ask.

(It happened) when they said, “Yūsuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, while we are a whole group. Surely, our father is in clear error.

Habib Ali Zainal Abidin said:

Surah Yusuf was revealed in Makkah. It has got many special qualities. The verse started off with ahsanul qasas, meaning the best of parables or the best of narratives. Not that Prophet Yusuf was better than the other prophets, Musa, Adam or Nuh, but when a surah begins with ahsanul qasas it carries plenty of weight and blessings. Reading the surah makes one's thoughts focused and it brings much joy to one's heart. Surah Yusuf is special. Anyone who recites it would surely be given irtah. His sorrows and worries would be lifted.

It is also special in that it is the only surah which is dedicated to one and only one prophet from the beginning right to the end. Unlike the other prophets, Prophet Musa for example, stories about him are scattered in several surah like Surah Baqarah, Qasas and Nazi'at.

Allah revealed the verses to console Prophet Muhammad s.a.w for him to know that Prophet Yusuf too had suffered from similar predicament. He faced opposition from his own family. Prophet Muhammad was challenged by kafir Quraish in the likes of Abu Jahal and Abu Lahab. This verse was meant to strengthen Prophet Muhammad's heart - tatbil lil fu'ad, so that he would have more resolve in propagating Islam.

Surah Yusuf was also meant as a lesson for Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., a lesson about the Jews, preparing him to deal with the Jews later in Madinah when he would interact with them for the first time. Prior to Surah Yusuf, there had been no stories about the Jews, except for what was mentioned in Torah. But Prophet Muhammad was illiterate, there was no way for him to learn about it. Moreover, Prophet Yusuf had been around 2130 years before him. The Arabs themselves had not heard of Prophet Yusuf because they had not have any relations with the Samawi religions, be it Christianity or Judaism. The Arabs only knew about prophets Nuh, Ismail, Lut, Hud, Ibrahim and Ishak. Apart from Waraqah bin Naufal, the Arabs in Makkah did not know any Christians or Jews. Prophet Muhammad and the people at that time was minal ghafilin, not ghaflah (heedless) but they were unaware of the stories of Prophet Yusuf.

Allah s.w.t began Surah Yusuf with three alphabets Alif Lam Ra whose meanings are only known to Him. This was meant to attract the attention of the Arabs making them eager to listen to the rest of the verses. The Arabs at that time were keen on poetry and literature and the Qur'an was a literature par excellence that captured their imagination. Alif Lam Ra was also meant to challenge those who thought they could compose something like the Qur'an. It served as lit tahaddi, a challenge.

The Qur'an was revealed in the Arabic language, it was the language of Prophet Muhammad and his people so that they would understand better. Nonetheless, it was not solely meant for the Arabs. The language itself was a mukjizat. The Arabic Qur'an has remained unaltered unlike Torah or Injil. It cannot be translated. It is a language that is easily understood yet its meanings are deep. Allah said: "We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, so that you may understand", so that you belong with people with intelligence. Akal is the most significant part of our body. Allah is not worshipped with any better worship save by one who knows Him. If you do not worship Him with knowledge, then your worship is of low quality. That is why it is said, one second of tafakkur (contemplation) is better than a thousand years of worship.

It was narrated that one syaitan had entered a mosque with an intention to distract a man who was praying but ran away. When asked why he left hurriedly, he said he was fearful of the man who was sleeping next to the one who was praying. He was afraid that he would get burned by the breath of the aleem who was sleeping because that man was a knower of Allah. That is why one aleem is better than a thousand abid. Saidina Umar al-Khattab was one such person. Syaitan would avoid crossing path with him.

When Saidina Umar heard a man reciting Surah Yusuf, he asked, 'Are you reciting Surah Yusuf?' The man said yes, Saidina Umar then said, 'Go on read.' When the man came to the second verse Tilka ayatu kitabilmubin... (These are verses of the enlightening Book), Saidina Umar told him to stop and said, 'Are you going to read other stories? Enough!'

When Prophet Muhammad saw someone brought chapters of the Torah for study, he scolded him, saying, 'Is Qur'an not enough?' We should not busy ourselves with other books. The Qur'an is sufficient and is the best kitab there is. It is as we mentioned, ahsanul qasas, the best of parables, so tell your children stories from the Qur'an. Allah promised to grant ibrah to the one who narrates or recites stories from the Qur'an. He/she will surely obtain much hikmah and iktibar from the reading.

In Surah Yusuf, Prophet Yusuf addressed his father as Ya abati not Ya abi, ya walidi or ya abuya. It is a term of endearment. Likewise Prophet Yaakub addressed his son as Ya bunaiya, not ya ibni or ya walidi. This ahsanul qasas begins with a dream of Prophet Yusuf who told his father about his amazing experience. He was young and his father knew it was rare for a young boy like Yusuf to have such a wonderful dream. Prophet Yaakub thus advised Yusuf not to tell anything to his siblings.

Rukya solihah (a dream) is one of 60th part of wahyu for anbiya/solehin like Yusuf. Wahyu in this context refers to ilham (inspiration). If you are blessed with a good dream, know that it is from Allah and you are encouraged to share with those who are close to you, provided that you do not feel riya' (proud) about it. If you had a bad dream, do not tell anyone and do not believe that it is a bad omen. Do not refer to books for interpretations because only a select few are given knowledge of ta'wil. Ibn Sirrin was one gifted in matters of dreams' interpretations. Even then, he would interpret the same dream differently depending on his ilham. Therefore, we cannot generalize that if a person dreamed of hearing azan he would go for hajj. Ibn Sirrin was known to have given a different ta'wil for the same dream.

Prophet Yusuf dreamed 11 planets prostrating to him. Sajada or lis sajidin is the point where we are closest to Allah that is why we are asked to make plenty of petitions in sajada. In rukuk, we are asked to glorify Him. But sajada in Prophet Yusuf's dream meant that his siblings would eventually bow to him and not literally make sajada to him. Sajada is only meant for Allah. Prophet Yaakub had 12 sons, when Yusuf dreamed of 11 stars prostrating to him, it referred to the other 11 siblings of his.

Mu'az once made sajada to Prophet Muhammad but it was not welcomed. He saw people in some countries making sajada to their kings and he thought Prophet Muhammad of all people was more deserving. At this point, Rasulullah said if he could allow sajada for people, he would ask wives to prostrate to their husbands.

Prophet Yaakub cautioned his son Yusuf not to share his dream to his siblings for fear that they might feel envious (hasad) towards him. Envy and all bad characteristics arise from shayatin - 'Surely, Satan is an open enemy for mankind.' Prophet Yaakub knew that his other sons were able to interpret dreams and they would know the good fortune awaiting Yusuf.

Beware of hasad because it eats up all your good deeds like fire destroying wood. People who have hasad wish that calamities befall their enemies. It happens when one is angry towards someone and harbour ill feelings towards that person. Therefore, hasad is destructive to both the person who has it and his enemies. Yusuf's siblings were envious of him because they thought their father was being unfair towards them, that Yaakub was treating Yusuf favorably. Yusuf was a young boy, his father naturally gave him more attention and affection. Yusuf's brothers did not understand that though, so they devised an evil plot against him.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Shaykh Abdul Aziz Shafie expounded on a chapter from Kitab Qatrul Ghaisiah (A raindrop of a Sufi ocean) at KL Ba'alawi last friday. He said:

Knowledge is more afdhal, superior to, amal ibadah (acts of worship). Allah created us and all the makhluk for us to know in our hearts His greatness; that we truly know in our hearts that He is Robbul Alamin, He is in control of the universe. If we understood that, our hearts would be filled with lights of gnosis (nur makrifatullah). Allah gives nur iman (light of faith) to whomever He likes. He is the Essence who creates and protects.

We need to have knowledge of Allah. Our lives have an end to it. Our health, our strengths all have an end. There is death at the end of life, for Allah to know who amongst us is good. Every beginning has an end. I started when I was born on 7th March 1947. When and where will I end? We have all begun so we will all approach our ending. Who is it that orchestrate our lives in an orderly manner, who created us the way we are? Qul anta ya Muhammad, Qul huwallahu ahad. Allahhu samad. "Say, O Muhammad, He is Allah who is unique and He is eternal."

We must have knowledge about Him or else our worship would be of no meaning. Therefore, one should not stray away from majlis 'ilm. One must strive to be one of three categories of people: an aleem (a person with knowledge), or one who seeks knowledge (a student) or one who listens. Do not be with the fourth category i.e. one who has no knowledge and neither studies nor listens. By all means, go attend majlis 'ilm!

This earth is safe, thanks to four groups of people:

1. Little children who has not yet baligh (come of age).

2. The elderlies - people who are 70 years old and above. They are called people of inabah. If you have someone like that in your home, be sure to look after them well for much blessings come from them as they are people whom Allah grant continuous mercy and forgiveness.

3. People who istighfar, who seek forgiveness for their wrong doings.

4. AwliyaAllah - the saints with whose barakah, Allah makes the world safe. So try to attend gatherings of solehin because in every 40 people there is one saint and we want to benefit from their du'a.

Worship and do good deeds once you have attained knowledge of Him. Allah sends gifts into our hearts. He gives us hidayah and tawfik so that we could worship Him. When we make two rakaat of prayers, that very act proves our servanthood. At the same time it shows that Allah loves us that He makes us capable of performing such acts. It proves that He has not forsaken us. The acts of worship that we have been doing are like gifts from us to Him and likewise they are gifts from Allah to us. We are guided, InshaAllah, so much so that we are afraid to commit maksiat (evil deeds), we become conscious and are appreciative of our age that we do not waste it.

We must become acquainted with Allah in both good times and bad times - when we are happy, healthy and also when we are sad and in sickness. Servitude only comes about after one has known Allah with knowledge of ma'rifah that comes from Him.

He gives us good in all circumstances. There is wisdom in every circumstances. There is hikmah in all His actions towards us because He is Al-Hakim. The oak tree is old but it is when it has aged do we get the value of its wood. Do not worry about becoming old. Hold on to the kalimah lailaha illAllah.

When you do your ibadah, be sure to perform with sincerity. An act of worship that is devoid of sincerity is akin to a body without ruh (spirit). It becomes worthless as Allah will not forgive us nor would He reward us for such an act. Shaykh Ibn Athaillah as-Sakandari said: "Your amal has ruh onlywhen there is ikhlas in it". Make sure you have no other agenda in your amal. Make sure it is solely for Allah. Never ever perform any acts or worship with your lower nafs. Make it 100% sincere and not have even 1% trace of insincerity, or else, the angels would scorn you by asking you to claim your reward from the person whom you tried to impress.

When you do your ibadah sincerely, your ibadah becomes pure. What do you understand by ikhlas? It is when you qasad (form an intention) in your heart to do something for Allah and not to gain pahala (rewards) nor for fear of hell. The Prophet s.a.w said in a hadith qudsi that sincerity is one secret of His secrets. Allah keeps the secret of ikhlas in the hearts of His chosen servants.

Wallahu a'lam.

p/s

Regret to note here that I have missed three other lessons of Baba Aziz this weekend so I cannot share much with you. May Allah carry us to majlis 'ilm with His tawfiq. Ameen.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

O son, we learned from the tazkira of Siddiq Osman NoorMuhammad that the Al-Haddads particularly Habib Abdallah bin Alawi al-Haddad and his grandson Habib Ahmad Mahshur bin Taha al-Haddad (picture below) were capable to soften a hardened heart and enlighten a darkened heart.

They were Haddad al-Qulub - "That is, one who purifies hearts (qulub) to make them glow and shine with the nur (light) of imaan (belief), just as an iron-smith (Haddad in Arabic), smelts iron to remove its rust and makes it glow in the furnace." May we benefit from this special quality of theirs, Ameen.

Today 14 Rajab, fifteen years ago, Habib Ahmad Mahshur bin Taha al-Haddad passed away in Makkah al-Mukarramah. I have neither known him nor heard of him until a few days ago. What happened was, I was awakened in the middle of the night and inspired to check an email that had just arrived. It was about his haul. I immediately posted a blog about it. I then read the eulogies for him which moved me to tears - a lot. The next morning, I asked mom if she wanted to participate in the Khatam Qur'an for Habib Ahmad Mahshur, and she agreed. Alhamdulillah. Later when I got home, I saw her crying while reciting the appointed juz for the khatam. I have often heard my mother recite the Qur'an but I have never seen her cry so much while reading the holy verses. She paused to ask me, 'What is the habib's name?' and continued reading with tears in her eyes. MashaAllah!

Unlike some very fortunate people who had written wonderful eulogies for Habib Ahmad Mahshur al-Haddad, we never had the privilege to meet habib, yet we are just so happy that at least we now know his name - what a blessed name to know! That's all we need to connect to him here and now because as what Almarhum Shaykh Ibrahim Battawi had once said: "In the realm of spirits, there is no distance." And we are happy to at least know his name so that if we were to meet him in heaven, we would be able to recognize him and call his name, InshaAllah.

Naf'anAllahu bih.

May Allah make us benefit from Habib Ahmad Mahshur bin Taha al-Haddad and all the venerated shuyukhs and habaibs who have left us.

Friday, June 25, 2010

O son, yesterday, a sister quoted an account of Rabiatul Adawiyah and that put a big smile on my face as it is my favorite quote of Rabia, EVER!

It goes like this:

Salih Qazwani always taught his disciples:

“Who knocks at the door of someone constantly,

one day the door must be opened to him.”

Rabi’a one day heard it and said:

“Salih, how long will you go on preaching thus,
using the future tense, saying ‘will be opened’?

Was the door ever closed? It was ever open.”

For the sake of Allah, I love Rabia very much and believe that her holy spirits could lend plenty of baraka, inspirations and spiritual intuitions, bi-iznillah. As far as I am concerned Rabia is 'alive'. I say that because one lady told a close friend of mine that my words reminded her of Rabia. MashaAllah, Tabarakallah! It was the most undeserving comment I ever got, wallahi!

But that is beside the point. Alhamdulillah it shows that one's love and adoration for Rabia makes her alive in one's heart and soul. Except for the blessed women of the Prophet's family, no one can be compared to Rabia's gnosis or piety. No one!

All I am saying is, love can do wonders! Love her and she will be 'alive' with you!

So I pray with the baraka of Rabiatul Adawiyah that the sister who quoted that wonderful exchange between Rabia and Salih Qazwani would be given the tawfik she needed to wear hijab. I humbly ask that all of you lady visitors pray for her and all women wishing to wear hijab but needed a little bit of motivation. For indeed, as she has quoted to me: "A faithful believer to a faithful believer is like the bricks of a wall, enforcing each other."

May Allah continue to protect and guide us all believing women. Ameen Allahumma Ameen.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

We wish to extend an invitation to anyone wishing to participate in the Quran Khatam for Almarhum Habib Ahmad Mahshur al-Haddad (1908 -1995). We believe the organizer, Online Halaqa is having this initiative done now in conjunction with his haul. Habib Ahmad Mahshur had passed on to rahmatullah on 14 Rajab 1416 Hijri. To register, please contact online.halaqa@gmail.com

You may wish to recite a juz/sapara or however many you are able to with the intention of sending the reward to Habib. Please let the organizer (Online Halaqa) knows how many juz you would like to recite and specific juz(s)/para(s) shall be allocated based upon which are available. You are also welcome to read Sura Yasin or the Kalima but please inform so it can be added to the khatam. Please note all recitations would need to be completed by Friday 25 June.

Our beloved Shaykh Al-Habib Ahmad Mash-hur bin Taha al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu (1325-1416 A.H) inherited everything from his noble ancestor, Sayyidunal Imam Al-Habib Mawlana Abdallah bin ‘Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu (1044-1132 A.H). Both are Hadhrami, Shafi’i, ‘Alawi, Husaini, descendants of our beloved Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam. Al-Habib (The beloved) inherited from Mawlana al-Haddad the ‘ulum (knowledge), the Mustafawiakhlaaq (character), the sirr (spiritual secrets); indeed everything. Perhaps he considered it his greatest achievement to try to follow in the footsteps of Mawlana al-Haddad. It was this humility that made him the beloved of Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta’ala, the beloved of Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam, and the beloved among angels, jinn and people. Like Mawlana al-Haddad, he became Haddad-al-Qulub, that is, one who purifies hearts (qulub) to make them glow and shine with the nur (light) of imaan (belief), just as an iron-smith (Haddad in Arabic), smelts iron to remove its rust and makes it glow in the furnace.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen.

He is the majestic Shaykh in return for whose smile you feel like giving away everything in the name of Allah.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen.

He is the Qutb-ul-Gauth (the pillar of spiritual succour) whose dua (invocation to Allah) turns a shaqee (doubtful person) into a sa’eed (the saved).

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen.

He is the Murshid al-Kaamil (The most accomplished Shaykh) who removes shayaateen (devils) from your way and immerses you in the pond of kauthar of his ancestor, the beloved of Allah, Sayyidina wa Mawlana, Muhammad ibn Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah, Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen

He is the greatest gift of Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta’ala to the mu’mineem (believers) in the present age and time. He is the beloved of Allah who keeps company with Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam, Pir Khidhr Hayaat, Shaykh AbdulQadir Jilani, Mawlana al-Haddad, and other awliya Allah (friends of Allah).

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen

He is Ad-Daa’ee al-Kaamil (The most accomplished preacher) who spread Islam in East Africa, especially in the countries of Zanzibar, Uganda and Kenya, converting thousands of people to Islam, only Allah knows the exact number.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen.

He is an international personality who was born in the town of Qaydun in Hadhramaut; studied in Hadhramaut and Indonesia; spread Islam in East Africa; resided in Jeddah in his old age; has mureedeen and muhibbeen (loving disciples) in East Africa, Yemen, Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, U.K, Canada, U.S.A, indeed all over the world; whose salatul janaza was prayed at the Ka’ba in Makkah; and whose last resting place is Jannaatul Malaa in Makkah, his grave easily distinguished by the fact that it is the only one on which grass grows.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen.

He is the ‘Aalimul ‘Allamah and the Shaykhul Mashaaikh (the Shaykh of Shaykhs) whose spiritual masterpiece Miftah ul Jannah (The Key To Paradise) brings people into the fold of Islam without their even having seen him. All your questions are answered in his majlis (spiritual gathering) without you asking him. His obituary on Sayyid Omar Abdallah moves you to tears and obituaries on him move you to tears.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen.

He is the representative of Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam who lived according to his sunnah (life-style) each moment of his life. We learn about the sunnah of our beloved Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam from his Hadith Shareef (noble sayings). One of his sunnahs was to make each of his sahaba (companions) feel special the way he dealt with him. Al-Habib lived up to this sunnah as well; when you talk with his mureedeen (loving disciples), each one of them will tell you that his relationship with Al-Habib was so special that no other person could hope to attain it!

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him, Aameen.

He is our Shaykh who teaches us Islam not only in words but also by living according to it. He is the Shaykh most dear to your heart who will give you a practical demonstration of how his mercy overpowers his anger.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah Ta’ala make us benefit from him, Aameen.

His majlis (spiritual gathering) consists of dars (lesson) from Qur’an Kareem, Hadith Shareef from Riyadh us Saleheen (The Gardens of the Righteous) compiled by Imam an-Nawawi, and classics of Muslim spirituality like Ihya ‘Ulum al-Deen (The Revival of Religious Knowledge) of Imam al-Ghazali, Risalatul Mu’awanah (The Book of Assistance), and An-Nasaaih id-Diniyya (Sincere Religious Advices) of Mawlana al-Haddad, Naf’anAllahu bihim. There will be recitation of qasaaid (hymns) from the Diwan (Collected Hymns) of Mawlana al-Haddad and the Diwan of Imam Ali bin Muhammad al-Habshi, may Allah make us benefit from them, Aameen. Recitation about mawlid (birth) and seerah (history) of Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam would be from Simtud Durar (Necklace of Pearls) of Imam al-Habshi, Naf’anAllahu bih. And his aqeeda (beliefs) was as expounded by Mawlana al-Haddad, coming from the pure fount of the teachings of our beloved Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. And the azkaar (regular voluntary invocations) you receive from his own blessed hands or hear him recite are Ratib al-Haddad, Ratib al-Attas, Wird ul-Latif, and Burda Shareef, among others. You do zikr with him until it runs in your veins. Now rejoice at your good fortune. Indeed, he might bestow on you and you only, some more azkaar like one or more of the Asma Allah ul Husna (The Most Beautiful Names of Allah Ta’ala). This then is a secret between you and him and such secrets between you and your Shaykh are not to be divulged.

Naf’anAllahu bih

May Allah make us benefit from him Aameen.

When the mashaaikh (spiritual masters) meet him, they acclaim him as the ‘Aarif Billah (knower of Allah), on RidhaAllah, existing for the pleasure of Allah. He invokes Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta’ala in fulfilment of Sunnah but he accepts whatever Allah ordains. If Allah has decreed shahaadah (martyrdom) for one or more of his mureedeen, he accepts that just as Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam acknowledged that his beloved grandson Imam Husain Rady Allahu ‘Anhu and his family were ordained to receive the daraja (spiritual station) of shaheed (martyrs). And with each such shahaadah (martyrdom), Islam spreads more and more.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said: "Shayatin don't like us to be happy, so we should be happy or else you know who is going to be happy. Shayatin would whisper this and that to make us worry unnecessarily and be sad about things that we should not be sad about."

I saw one ustazah spoke about happiness on telly the other day. She said matter of factly: "You don't have to wait to be happy. You thought you would be happy when you get married. When you are married you thought you would be happy when you get a child. When the child arrives, you cannot wait until he/she grows up. Some thought they would be happy when they move to a bigger house or buy a new car. No! You should be happy now. You need not wait until later."

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

O son, I've been suffering from a bout of spiritual drought, so it was a relief to read Mawlana Shaykh Nazim's sohbet on 'love as the water of life.' He said, "Everything pertaining to this world is impermanent, constantly in a state of transition."

That statement reminded me of one of our earliest gurus, Ustaz Shu'ib (Rahimallahu Ta'ala). He said, "We often hear people make remarks, 'Oh you have changed, you look different now.' Of course we change, we are muhaddas, BUT in your heart, whenever people say such things to you, remember in your heart, remember to say in your heart, 'I am with the Qadim.'

Today, ten years later, Ustaz Shuib's advice makes more sense to me. Habib Yusuf Bakhur al-Hassani also talked about the same thing. In his sohbet in KL recently, he mentioned ma'iyatul mutlak (the ultimate presence). And for the umpteenth time he quoted the wirid of Imam Sahl al-Tustari - AllahHu Ma'ie - 'Allah is with me'. I am not good in Arabic but understood from the various gurus who have spoken about ma'iyah, that it refers to 'presence'. It's about knowing, feeling and internalizing the fact that He is present with you.

And if we were to take it to another level, He is ma'iyatul mutlak. He, the Ever Present is the ultimate presence. You are NOT. You are not present with yourself. You are naught. That is why Habib Yusuf kept telling us to get rid of the I-ness, to get rid of ananiyah.

O son, we have to repeat this point over and over because that's what all the sufi gurus keep repeating and keep telling us. So know who you are and know who you are with. Sometimes we think we got it, we understood the spiritual realities that the gurus want us to achieve, at other times we forgot. That is fine because Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said in the sohbet we quoted yesterday:

Monday, June 21, 2010

Everything pertaining to this world is impermanent, constantly in a state of transition. Therefore, it is only natural that I am here addressing you today and elsewhere tomorrow. Don't let this condition sadden you, for, in reality, transition is God's mercy to man. Don't wish even for good times to last forever, for you wouldn't be able to bear permanence -you would just get fed up. Know that the discontinuation of any desirable state or condition is the catalyst for gaining an even deeper appreciation of what is good. Longing for the attainment of the spiritual realities of which you have caught a glimpse is the means to their attainment. Is there any morsel tastier than that upon which the fast is broken?

This is the reason that Allah Almighty created the world as it is. The signs of the heavens take their turns inspiring our souls. The rising sun brightens our day, but just when we would start to get fed up with it, lo and behold, it bows out and the soft light of the moon enchants us with its many forms: appearing first as a delicate crescent, then waxing gradually to its full and waning. If it never waned no one would be able to appreciate the awe inspiring immensity of the starlit heavens.

A Visit to God's Holy House

The threadbare pilgrim may cross snowy mountain passes and sun-scorched deserts barefoot, or even on his hands and knees in order to reach Mecca. When he finally arrives he is struck dumb by the awesome majesty of the Holy Kaaba. Tears stream down his face as he clings to its door, pouring out his heart and soul to his Lord--and the Lord fulfills his heart's innermost desire in accordance with the longing that drove him to suffer freezing wind and scorching sun. Longing brought him to the house of the Lord, but the pilgrim's dedication to his Lord will not be served by his staying in Mecca on and on, but by returning to his country with the cherished memories of his pilgrimage inspiring his faith. Should he choose to remain in Mecca he runs the risks of gradually becoming callous and hardened to the sight of the Kaaba like the inhabitants, who never had a Mecca as their distant sought-after goal, who crossed no deserts to attain it, but who may, rather, cross through the holy Mosque as a shortcut to get from one part of the market to another, barely casting a glance at the magnificent Kaaba.

Once a disciple used to attend his Shaykh's discourses only occasionally, although he lived in the vicinity of the Shaykh's Dergah (Sufi School). The Shaykh asked him: "Why do you attend so infrequently?" The clever disciple answered: "Because I don't like being asked to attend less frequently".

The sun, the moon, the stars, the Holy Kaaba, the beauty of nature or architecture, or the face of a beloved person: all these sights may inspire us, may remind us of a great truth that is alive in our hearts, but of which we are yet heedless. But don't become enamoured of the signs to such an extent that they become ends in themselves, and you cease to follow the directions they seek to impart to you. The object is not a heavenly body that will set, a symbol which may become commonplace nor a face that will age or turn away from you. When Abraham was yet a seeker of truth, at a stage of bewilderment on his road to truth, he became enamoured of the sun, moon and stars, but as each set he said: "My love is not for those that disappear".

Love is eternal, and the transitory nature of all things pertaining to this world is a sign of truth, a sign that shows us by means of contrast. Real spiritual love, love of God and love of mankind for the sake of God is the only truth, the only thing in this world that is permanently and constantly sweet. Physical separation from someone you love, in accordance with the rule that pertains to the physical, may create a longing that will cause love to increase, may augment the bliss of reunion. But on the spiritual level that love is constant, is never interrupted by distance nor by time. Your beloved may be on the moon and you may be in bliss at the thought of reunion, but if love is unrequited, that is not sweet separation but a bitter pill. The extinction of love is pitch darkness. You may regard the sunset as beautiful, but how would you feel if it were setting forever?

Love is the water of life. God created Adam from clay and water. If it were not for water the clay would hold no shape. Divine Love is what binds our souls together. That is why people become so miserable when they feel unloved. It is a feeling that something essential is missing from one's life, that life itself is incomplete, and in the face of this ache people set out in search of love with the desperation of a man dying of thirst.

Lesson in a Bumper Sticker

Yesterday, as we were driving back from Sheffield I noticed a bumper sticker that read: "God is Love". That is a statement that accords with a common level of understanding; in reality such a description can never do justice to the Almighty; never can a single word or emotion, nor even all words and all emotions come close to describing His splendour, what to speak of "being" Him. However, the saying: "God is Love" can be called a common wisdom, as the intention is to accord the highest degree of veneration and devotion to love--that is correct; but to say it is God is let us say, an oversimplification.

Love is an attribute of God Almighty which binds His servants to Him eternally. If God were to hate mankind it would be so easy for Him to bring about an abrupt and terrible end to our follies--but He loves us and therefore shows us so much tolerance.

If you are a parent, consider your love for your children. If your son grew up to be a criminal, would you not love him still? Would you not maintain that despite his bad actions he still had good in him, his essential character is known to you as good, not evil.

Noah's Forty Clay Jugs

Everyone knows the story of Noah, peace be upon him. He is one of the five greatest prophets of God. He called on his people day and night for years, asking them to leave their evildoing, to repent and return to love of God and His worship and to abstain from wrong. His people rejected him repeatedly and scoffed at him. As much as he preached they rejected his teachings.

However he was patient and continued to preach to them. They never let up in their mockery of him. So it continued for years and years, and Noah was persistent and patient. He did not tire of calling his people to truth and goodness, and they in turn did not tire of scoffing at him. This continued for decades, a century, two centuries, and Noah was patient and persistent. Three centuries, four, five...

After nine centuries of non-stop preaching accompanied by endless mockery and rejection, Noah reached his limit. Finally he asked God to punish his people and to send a flood upon them and not leave a single one of them alive. As he was a prophet of God, God was obliged to answer his prayer. We know what came to pass.

Once some time after having been saved from the flood, the Lord addressed Noah saying, "O my servant, I am asking you to go and with your utmost care make for Me forty clay jugs." As he was an obedient servant and a great prophet, Noah immediately went about complying with this order. He gathered the finest clay he could find and spent days and nights laboring with love to create 40 beautiful clay jugs.

After so much effort, the Lord then addressed Noah again saying: "O my servant, now that you have made these forty jugs, go outside and take each one and throw it down upon the rocks." Noah, an obedient servant, had no choice but to obey. He took the jugs which he had spent so much effort in making, and one-by-one smashed them against the rocks.

Then the Lord addressed Noah, saying: "Oh Noah, you made forty clay jugs, and it was odious to you to break them. Do you think that it was a pleasure for Me to kill all of My servants, even though they were unbelievers?" Then Noah began to cry and wail. So proverbial was his wailing that "Nuh" came to mean "wail" in Arabic.

Moses and Korah

Do you know the story of Moses and Korah? Among the Chilof Israel at the time of the exodus from Egypt Korah was the richest man. Korah carried a large part of that wealth into the Sinai with him, and with that wealth a great deal of influence over the Children of Israel. Unfortunately for Korah he used his influence to stir up rebellion and discontent with the leadership of Moses. In order to discredit Moses once and for all Korah bribed a dishonourable woman to claim that Moses had committed adultery with her and that the child in her womb was his. As he was of course innocent, Moses was livid with rage, as he could only deny the accusation but could do nothing to prove it false. How could he lead the Children of Israel when they would hold doubts in their hearts regarding his morals and veracity?

So Moses turned to his Lord, saying: "Oh my Lord, vindicate me!" The Lord replied: "I have granted you the power to command the Earth. You may use it to vindicate yourself and prove your innocence to the Children of Israel". Then Moses announced to all the people: "All who are with me come to my side and those who adhere to Korah stay by his side". Then Moses said: "Oh Earth, catch him and swallow him up!" Responding to this command the Earth caught Korah, laying firm hold of his feet and ankles. Korah cried: "Oh my dear cousin Moses, for the sake of our kinship please forgive me!" But Moses was very angry and determined to punish Korah for all of his crimes: "Oh Earth, swallow him!"

Then the Earth grabbed a little more of his legs, and he again cried out to Moses for forgiveness--and so it went on, a full seventy times: Korah asking for pardon and Moses refusing and demanding retribution. Finally the earth had completely swallowed Korah. Then the Lord addressed Moses: "Korah begged you for forgiveness seventy times, but you had no mercy for him in your heart. I swear by My Might and Glory, had he even once addressed himself to Me, saying: 'Oh my Lord, I repent, please forgive me', I would have rescued him. You had no mercy for him because you didn't create him. I am the Creator and I have boundless mercy for My repentant servants".

The Lord created us and loves us; that is why everyone loves love. No one complains of love or wants it to be taken from him, but all want to be loved more. Where are you seeking love? Are you taking pure water from the gushing source, or muddy, slimy water from the ditch? You love people, but they will die. Perhaps your love will be unrequited, or because of a small error or indiscretion on your part that person's heart will harden to you and love will be no more. You say that you love him or her, but do you love him or her unconditionally? Is your love permanent-love for the real immaculate divine essence living in that person, or temporary, as a result of some desirable attributes: beauty, youth, wealth, station or wit? When that beautiful, young, wealthy, clever, amiable socialite becomes an ugly, old, penniless, senile, grumpy outcast will you still love her? Is your love of the spirit or of the world?

Oh people, seek real love, a love that cannot go astray. That love is the love of God and the love of his creatures for the sake of his love for them. That love emanation may bind all receptive hearts. There is a common saying: "The friend of a friend is a friend", so love people if you love God, for you must know that He loves them. It is not always easy to love people, even good people, so what about the Korahs of this world?

Love pertaining to the ego is not love, as all the ego knows is to love itself, and what is commonly called love is but a mutual understanding to support each other's egoism. Don't trust your ego, nor anyone else's, for the ego is disloyal by nature. When the spirit gains ascendancy the ego may be harnessed and put to good use, as the Holy Prophet said: "Your ego is your mount", but left to its whims it will take you many miles from your path in search of herbage.

This discourse is an Ocean, its summary is: what is of the world beware of, and pay attention to the dose. When crossing that ocean embark on a sturdy ship with well maintained lifeboats and life-preservers, and if you swim in it keep your head above water!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Alhamdulillah, I finally managed to scan the Arabic script of the du'a and post it here as requested by several Lisan al-Din visitors. I would highly appreciate it if someone who is fluent in Arabic could check the transliteration; and correct and add to the partial meanings which I have done. I apologize for the delay. I have been getting all sorts of requests, I will try to fulfill as much as possible, where possible InshaAllah.

May in this blessed month of Rajab, Allah grant us the tawfik (strength) to increase our ibadah (worship). Ameen Allahumma Ameen.

___________________

Allahumma inni as aluka rahmatan min 'indika tahdii bihaa qolbii

O Allah I beg from Your mercy that You grant guidance to my heartwa taj ma'u bihaa shamlii
That You unite all that is disunited about my familywatalummu bihaa shaq sii
That You unite all that is disunited about my affairswataruddu bihaa ul fatii
That You return the pleasures of obedience (that you have granted me before)watus lihhu bihaa diini
That You restore my religionwatak dhi bihaa diini
That You help payoff my debtswatah fazu bihaa gho ibii
That You take care of my belongings which I see notwatar fa'u bihaa shahidii
That You elevate my witnessingwatuzakkii bihaa 'amalii
That You purify my deedswatubay yidhu bihaa wajhii
That You make my face fair (on the Day of Resurrection)watul himunii bihaa rushdii
That You inspire me with guidancewataq simunii bihaa min kulli suk
and that You protect me from all evils

Allahumma inni as aluka iimanan kholisan yubaa shiru kolbi
O Allah I seek genuine iman (belief) filled in my heartwa as aluka yaqiinan sodiqan hatta aqlama annahu lan yusiibanii illa maa katab tahu 'alaiya
and real certainty in knowing that nothing shall befall me save what You have written about me war ridho bimaa kosamtahu lii
and that I will be pleased with Your choice for meAllahumma aq tinii iimaanan sodiqan
O Allah grant me true imanwa yaqiinan laisa baqdahu kufr
and certitude without disbelief thereafterwarahmatan anaalu bihaa sharofa karaamatika fid dunyaa wal aakhirah
and with Your mercy, may I be dignified in this world and in the hereafter

Allahumma inni as alukas sobra 'indal qodho'i
O Allah, grant me patience in accepting Your decreewal fauza 'indal liqa'i
and make me triumphant at meeting Youwamanaa zilash shuhada'i
and grant me the honors of the syahid (those who died for Your sake)wa 'aishal su'adaa'i
and a happy life wan nasro 'alal 'aqdaa'i
and victory over the enemieswamuraafaqatal anbiya'
and a ranking close to the anbiya' (prophets)

Allahumma innii unzilu bika haajatii wa in dho u'fa rakyi
O Allah, I leave my wish to Youwaqal lat hiilatii
as I am weak in my saywaqosura 'amalii
and weak in my actionswaf takor tu ila rahmatika
I only hope for Your mercyfa as aluka yaa qaadhiyal umuri wayaa shaa fiyas suduuri
O You who give life and expand the chestkama tujiiru bainal buhhuuri an tujiiranii min 'azaabis sa'iiri
just as You divide the oceans, keep me distant from the torments of the hell wamin daqwatis subuuri wamin fitnatil qubuuri
and the laments of those who regret and the tortures of the grave

Saturday, June 19, 2010

O son, I would be lying if I said I did not dress up to impress people when I was in my 20s. Although, like most girls I was quick to defend myself by saying, 'Oh I dress up simply to look good and feel good.' Needless to say, I did win a good deal of attention but looking back, there were instances when I had humiliated myself. Alhamdulillah, for His tawfik and hidayah. Never would we have found guidance, had He not guided us.

This morning, I came across this line attributed to Mawlana Rumi:

"Strip the raiment of pride from your body:

in learning, put on the garment of humility."

Certainly, we don't have to learn to be disobedient but we sure have to learn hard if we want to be obedient. Rumi is saying, if we want to learn anything, we have to humble ourselves because we have so much pride in our body.

As I said, I used to dress up to be attractive. Now when I think back, what this boyfriend said or what that person said, all did not mean a thing. The compliment that I value most is from my late father who told mom that he thought I was beautiful. (Oh I am missing him more on this Father's Day!)

It has been 7 years since I first put on a scarf and gradually understood that it is not just about wearing a hijab over the head but also the heart. Shaykh Hisham Kabbani said, 'outwardly you may be wearing the best outfit, which is good because we want to project a good image of Islam, but inwardly, keep your heart connected to Allah.'

I suppose if we keep our hearts connected to Allah, we would be humble no matter how expensive or glamorous our outer garments are. And our hearts would be seeking His redha more than seeking attention and praises from people.

May Allah help us strip the raiment of pride from our body and put on the garment of humility. May Allah forgive all our shortcomings. Ameen Allahumma Ameen.

p/s
Love and du'a for one frequent visitor Rehana Kausar.
I imagine the owner of that beautiful name is a very beautiful woman with or without hijab.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Cry out to God: "O Lord, other than this travelling and turning of mine, give me another spritual turning since all needs are met by you and your generosity and mercy are common to all existing things."

Petition Him every moment for your needs and be not without remembrance of Him, for the remembrance of Him is strength; it is a wing to the bird of the spirit. If that goal is fully attained, it will be light upon light.

If you are mindful of God, little by little your interior will be illuminated and you will attain release from the world. If a bird tries to fly to heaven, it may never reach it but it still gets farther from the earth every moment and flies higher than other birds.

Pic credit: fiveprime.org

O son, we always lament about the prison of life. We want to get away from it all. Rumi is saying we can be freed from the trappings of the world by remembering Him, by asking from Him, by making petitions to Him all the time and getting the strength from Him. Let's all fly away from the earth. Fly high! With His strength, to His Presence.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

I wish to thank one brother who had reminded me of Dua-e Jameelah. MashaAllah! My first 'encounter' with this special du'a was at a pharmacy near Masjidil Haram across the King Abdul Aziz gate. It was in 1997, my first umrah. I picked up a complimentary copy of the du'a from the pharmacy and carried it everywhere for many years. Alhamdulillah. It's time to revisit it InshaAllah. But brother, I am not in a position to expound on its meaning. It's a beautiful du'a, suffice that we know what His Names mean. Beautiful Names!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

O son, as we busy ourselves collecting and keeping currencies of this world, Ghawth al-Azam, Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani spoke about currencies that would be of value in the hereafter. Surely, it is neither dollar nor pound. This he spoke exactly 886 years ago, on 2nd Rajab. He qaddasallahu sirruh said:

"This world is a marketplace in which, after a short while, there will be no one remaining. As night falls, its people will all depart from it. You must be careful to sell and buy in this market only that which will be useful to you tomorrow in the market of the hereafter, for the assayer has a sharp eye (for separating good coin from bad). Affirmation of the Oneness of Allah (tawhid), sincerity (ikhlas) in working for Him - this is the currency in circulation over there, and you have very little of it!"

So the two currencies we must have are tawhid and ikhlas. InshaAllah. May, in this blessed month of Rajab, Allah guides and helps us store these currencies. Ameen.